We really need to start a series called, “Are ELCA colleges Christian?” I say that because it seems to me, more and more, worldly values and morals are taking precedent within ELCA colleges.

St. Olaf College is affiliated with the ELCA. On St. Olaf's official website we learn of an event called the “Wellness Olympics” and are told this, “Back by popular demand, the Wellness Center is hosting a team-based competition that tests students’ knowledge of sexual health, reproductive anatomy, and STI statistics. It all culminates in an intense relay race to properly put on a condom while wearing ‘beer goggles.’ Come and bring your friends!” (see here)

On St. Olaf College Wellness Center’s Facebook page we are told of this event, but they call it “Condom Olympics!” The Wellness Center apparently invited 399 Facebook members, who in all likelihood are St. Olaf College students with Facebook accounts, to this “Condom Olympics.” Twenty seven people responded saying they were “Going” to the event and 32 people said they “maybe” going. (see here)

St. Olaf’s Student Government Association’s website announced the event this way, “An interactive competition with the purpose of social norming and learning all about condoms. Ahhhhh yeeeah.” (see here - probably wont be on their webpage for long)

So lets get this straight, an event held at St. Olaf College teaches students how to put on condoms while intoxicated, which is what “beer goggles” are to simulate. People who support St. Olaf College need to know about this.

I'm in favor of providing people with information that might help them to avoid sinful and/or dangerous behaviors.

And I don't mind if such information is provided with an element of "fun."

But the "condom olympics" assume that young people will, as a right of passage, engage in sexual intimacy outside of marriage and, sex or not, get themselves blitzed.

Assuming these things is to say that human beings are hormonally-driven animals incapable of heeding the call of God over their lives and more seriously, assumes that God is incapable of hearing the prayers of believing Christians who pray, "Deliver us from temptation."

At a Christian college, while acknowledging the original sin that tempts us all, professors instructors, and administrators will instead teach that it's possible, through submission to Christ, to possess "self control," a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

But, of course, there's yet another assumption ELCA members should avoid: The one that says our ELCA colleges, universities, or even, seminaries, are Christian. Sadly, there's little evidence to support such assumptions.

Reply

Beth L.

5/31/2012 03:50:43 pm

Having just completed a year serving as Junior Counselor in a first year dorm at St. Olaf and being grateful for the Wellness Center's resources programming, I think its important to remind everyone what the St. Olaf Wellness Center actually does before condemning them.

Their mission statement can be found on their website: http://www.stolaf.edu/stulife/wellness/staff/

"The Wellness Center strives to educate and support a community that encourages healthy and safe behaviors through personal responsibility, positive social norms, academic engagement and a vibrant co-curricular life."

Their work is grounded in reality. For example, as a Lutheran school, we have a dry campus policy. As part of Residence Life, I can tell you firsthand that is not the reality. The dry campus policy often results in dangerous student drinking, behind doors. The medical amnesty policy was a great step towards keeping students safe, and so is the Wellness Center programming. They clearly do not promote alcohol use, but they embrace a "harm reduction" policy. Proven nationally effective, the Wellness Peer Educators approach is "A lot of students here don't drink, but if you are going to drink then here is how to be smart about it."

The Condom Olympics are in a similar vein. Yes, they are hilarious. But instead of being flippant, the levity serves to reel students in and teach some basic sexual health. I brought my corridor of first years to the Fall Olympics that were part of Homecoming. The competitions served to myth bust, provide information, and create an environment where we can talk about sexuality. Contradicting Mark Daniels' comment above, one of the statistics the Wellness Center presented was that only 51% of St. Olaf students have had sex during the last year, which is great for those of us not having sex to hear.

Furthermore, none of the Peer Educators "taught us how to put on condoms while intoxicated." In what I consider the most educational component of the event, the beer goggles and condoms relay demonstrated how impossible safe sex is when you're drinking. Beer goggles in general are a great way to realize how impaired alcohol actually makes you, since that's impossible to comprehend while under the influence.

The relay section went like this: The first contestant put on his/her goggles and ran to the condom bowl in the middle of the room. S/he had to find a good condom, meaning one that wasn't expired, already ripped, stapled, etc. (This part was SO DIFFICULT) Then you raced to the end and tried to put the condom on the woody properly. The Peer Educators made you start over if anything wasn't perfect... and none of us got it right on the first couple tries.

Their point was made. Having safe sex is essentially impossible under the influence of alcohol. In the conversation I had with my girls afterwards, most of the comments were about the last section of the relay and how they weren't going to hook up or let their friends hook up if they'd been drinking.

The "Do Not Drink" admonition clearly doesn't stop students from drinking. Refusing to talk about sexual health clearly doesn't stop students from having sex. Honest education keeps people safe and as a Christian, I think that is wonderful.

Reply

Larry-bob

5/20/2015 03:21:17 am

When I was a student at St. Olaf in the mid-1980s we had a pro-condoms-on-campus demonstration. Good to hear the situation has improved since then.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.

Leave a Reply.

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21

Dan Skogen

Former ELCA seminary student and former ELCA member who is fed up with the ELCA's consistent mockery of God's Word.